


Stand by Me

by Alecair



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Excoriation Disorder, F/M, Reader-Insert, supportive Noct
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 10:29:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11965539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecair/pseuds/Alecair
Summary: Noctis goes to get Reader for breakfast but notices something wrong with her. She's not acting like she used to and he has a feeling he knows what it is





	Stand by Me

Eyes flutter open, something doesn’t feel right, like a voice in your head is telling you to stay in bed, that you’re alone, you don’t belong and you want to tell it that, it’s wrong but it quips back.  _ You don’t deserve them.  _ You hear the door open, but you don’t have the energy to look and see who it is.

“Y/N, Ignis has breakfast on the table.” the voice trails off.

_Oh. It’s Noctis_. You want to tell him that you’ll be right there, but your head tells you otherwise and you wrap the blankets around you tighter. You want to call out to him, needing his comfort but you don’t. You’ll be a bother, your head tells you. You grit your teeth and stay silent.

Noctis notices there’s something off. Normally, you’re awake and out of bed by the time he’s at your door announcing breakfast. The rustling of your sheets tells him you’re awake; you hardly move in your sleep. He leaves the room for only a few moments, returning with a plate of food and a brush for your hair. He’s positive he knows what’s going on. However, if he’s wrong, then he just looks like a doting boyfriend. He’s got a feeling though, that he’s right. Noctis pulls a chair over to your bedside and lays the brush on your bedside table.

“Hey,” he starts. “I brought some food for you.” Noctis says as he sits in the chair.

You don’t answer, just stare at him blankly, confused; wondering why he even bothered. Your will to get up is practically non-existent.

“I know you’re probably not feeling up to it, but, if I cut it up and fed it to you...would you eat?” he’s trying to think of what he would have wanted when he was in this state and he bites his lip, hoping.

“I’ll...try…” you say quietly.

Noctis cuts up a pancake and brings it to your lips. He smiles at you softly as he takes a bite. Diligently, he feeds you until you’ve finished. He sets the plate to the side and he knows, in his heart, that he wants to do more for you. He wants to give you the care that you won’t give yourself. You deserve all the care and all the love that he can give you and more. You deserve the world.

“Thank you…” your grip loosens on the sheets. You can’t meet his eyes, your head telling you, that you’re undeserving. You want to cover your ears, to quiet the noise inside your head. You feel weight shift on the bed and you know that Noctis is sitting at the edge of your bed.

He pulls you up into sitting position and right into his arms. Noctis places a hand at the back of your head and speaks up, albeit a little shakily. “I wish…” he almost chokes on his words. He hates seeing you like this. “I…” he tries to find the right words to say. “I want to be your light in the dark,” he wants to be that and more. He wants to be your calm during the storm, to be the one that quiets all the noise, that quiets the voice that fills your head with doubt. He’s been there before and it kills him, knowing that there is little that he can do for you.

You find it hard to ignore the voice inside your head. It tells you, he’s just feeling sorry for you, that he doesn’t actually care. You rest your head on his shoulder and for a second, you feel him tense and then relax. He squeezes you tight and moves his other hand to your upper back, rubbing in circles. “Noct…” you hesitate and it takes you a while to ask but, you manage to ask. “You brought a brush...right?” you try to remember if you saw one in his hand or not.

Noctis nods. “Yeah. Do...you need me to brush your hair for you?” he asks softly.

You shake in his arms, tears are falling out and there’s no stop to them. “Please…” your voice shakes.

“Alright.” Noctis stretches his arm to the bedside table and realizes that he can’t reach the brush this way. He doesn’t want to let you go but he has no other option.Quickly, he lets go and stands up, moving to the bedside table and grabbing said brush. “Can you scoot forward a little?” Noctis steps on the backs of his boots and pulls his feet out of them.

You scoot forward just enough for Noctis to sit behind you.The bed shifts behind you and you feel him softly taking your hair into his hand. He starts brushing it from the bottom up and runs over a small bump.

“You okay?” he asks with concern after you gasp in pain.

“I...pick at the skin...sometimes without realizing it.” you say, embarrassed.

“I’ll be careful.” he says and softly brushes your hair. When he’s finished, he runs his fingers through your hair to check for any missed tangles and kisses the back of your head, wrapping his arms around you. He gives you a tight squeeze and buries his face into your shoulder, taking a deep breath in and out.. “I’ll do this for as long as it takes to get you smiling again.” he says, turning his head. “I won’t let you deal with this alone.” he strokes your arm softly with his thumb. He knows how it feels to deal with things like this alone and he’d be damned if he let you go through it.

“What if,” you start. Your head tells you that he’s just saying what you’d like to hear. That he’ll duck out the moment he realizes that it may take longer than he thinks. “What if it takes a while?” you question.

“Then, it takes a while, y/n”

The day passes, but not without problem. You occasionally pick fights out of insecurity and you end up yelling at him more times than you can count. You know it’s not his fault, he’s just trying to help.You apologize, not happy with yourself. He helps you eat again and helps you with bathing. Soon, you’re laying in bed trying to get to sleep with Noctis at your side, eyes closed like he’s already asleep. You’re unable to fall asleep, you head is full of constant doubts, a never ending cycle of thoughts and you scoot closer to him, lightly gripping his shirt.

“Can’t sleep?” he yawns and runs his hands over your hair.

“Mhm…” you furrow your brows together, frustrated.

Noctis wraps an arm around you and props himself up on his other arm. He leans forward and kisses your forehead. “Do you want me to sing to you?”

“Sure…” _like that’ll help_ , you think to yourself.

Noctis takes a deep breath and suddenly, you have a bad feeling. “I want to ride my chocobo all day~”

You lightly tap his arm. “Okay, Prompto.” you smile. It doesn’t quite reach your eyes, but it’s progress. Noctis considers that a victory.

“When the night” he starts, singing softly “has come…” he strokes your cheek a little and moves his hand to your upper back before rubbing in circular motions. Noctis smiles to himself as your eyes start to flutter shut. “Just as long, as you stand by me.”


End file.
